Getzlaf downplays club-tiff tale

Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke has come out in support of Team Canada captain Ryan Getzlaf following an alleged incident involving the Anaheim Duck in a Finland nightclub. (QMI AGENCY)

As a mere 2,314 watched in the stands as Canada played France, it was big news over here and certainly more interesting than the 7-2 game.

By the end of the game, however, it was no news at all.

It was one of those here-it-comes, here-it-is, there-it-goes stories which used to cover three days. It lasted about three hours in today’s internet and social media world.

It illustrates the keep-your-head-up, keep-your-focus life a hockey player has to take with him, not just to the arena but to the bar after the game these days in which just about everybody has a telephone with camera, e-mail and text capabilities.

Getzlaf was alleged to have waved his fist at the Finns and said “You do not want this” in a nightclub after their Saturday night loss to the USA.

Another report said Getlaf proclaimed himself “the captain of the Anaheim Ducks” and that he “threated to knock everyone out in three minutes.”

The alleged incident was to reported to have happened in the Circus nightclub, where leading Finnish hip-hop and rap artists appear. Former Miss Finland Sara Sieppilin and some of the entertainers were reported to be in the bar and in conversation with the Canadian players.

The reports said the incident happened when the lights were flashed signaling last call, that the doorman encouraged the players outside where it is said the confrontation continued but eventually subsided.

In an e-mail to your correspondent during the game, Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke reported what he witnessed.

“I saw Getzy late Saturday night (actually early Sunday morning). I left for the airport between 4:30 and 4:45 a.m. from the hotel where we (Team USA) stayed, the same hotel as Team Canada. Getzy was not intoxicated and was not with a woman. We had a brief and pleasant conversation and then I headed to the airport. I don’t know what happened early that night. I know what happened at 4:30 a.m. or so.”

Team Canada GM Kevin Lowe said he thought the Finland media was too engrossed in making a big deal out of the fact that Finland has only scored two goals in two games to try make a story out of something like this.

“This thing is so overblown it’s ridiculous. Sometimes you have to shake your head at how ridiculous things can get over here. It’s crazy. Once Jari Kurri was asked to pose for a picture with a female fan. He put his arm around her shoulders. The picture ended up on the front of a newspaper here. And he’s an honoured legend.

“The scrutiny pales back home compared to here,” he said of the only other country in the world where hockey is considered to be the No. 1 sport.

“The guys were out and people were out watching them be out. There was, we determined, nothing to address,” said Brad Pascall of Hockey Canada.

“Where that story came from, I don’t know,” said Getzlaf when he came off the ice after the game.

“It was way out of proportion. Way, way overblown.

“It was nothing like what was reported. Somebody tried to start an argument at the door. I said ‘No! No! No!’

“It wasn’t much more than that. There were never any punches thrown. Nothing. No incident. And there was definitely no Miss Finland,” he said. “We just went out after the game, had some fun and went home.

“It’s not fun to find out you’ve become the centre of some sort of story. You don’t want to have to deal with that.”

A European writer asked “No curfew?”

Getzlaf, pointed out that there was no game the next day.

“We’re grown men,” he said.

Coach Brent Sutter said he trusts his players to represent their country well over here.

“There’s nothing to it. They were ready to play today like the professionals they are. They were both solid today.

“These guys are pros,” he said. “I trust them in the situations they get in.”